The Choice
by Paigerella
Summary: What if Bella came to Forks before Edward? What if, by the time Edward and the Cullens moved to Forks, Bella was already together with Jacob? Will Bella be drawn to the mysterious and bronze-haired Edward Cullen, or will she remain loyal to Jacob?
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters._**

**_Some quick explanations:_**

_Okay, so for the sake of my story, I felt the need to alter a few things from how they actually are in the Twilight series. So, to avoid confusion, here are a few brief explanations:_

_Bella: is 16, almost 17, and entering her junior year at Forks High School. She's been in Forks for a year already, and her boyfriend is Jacob Black._

_Jacob: is 15, almost 16, and entering his sophomore year of high school at the La Push school. He's been together with Bella for several months now, and has NOT become a werewolf (yet). His best friends, Quil and Embry, are also sophomores and not-yet-werewolves._

_The Cullens: have just moved to Forks. Edward and Alice will be entering their junior year of high school in Forks while Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper are entering their senior year. Nobody in Forks really knows them yet._

_Okey-dokey, now that we've covered that…I suppose it's time to start with the actual story. Hope you enjoy._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I stepped out of my old red truck into the rainy school parking lot. I sighed as I slammed the car door shut and started sloshing towards the school. Another day in the drizzling town of Forks. I didn't like the wet and cold that constantly plagued this place, but I'd long ago made my peace with it. If living here in this town with my dad and sloshing through puddles every day made my mom happy, I considered it a small price to pay. As much as my mom loved me and wanted me to live with her, I knew I would be a burden. Her new husband, Phil, traveled a lot, and if I was living with them my mom would have to stay home with me. She said she wouldn't mind, but I knew it made her miserable to go so long without seeing him. So it was that I'd made the decision, just over a year ago, to move in with my dad.

Last year had been my sophomore year in high school, and it had been terrible at first. People paid more attention to me because I was new, and because I am an absolute

klutz and liable to trip over my own feet at any moment, attention wasn't something I desired. But I'd survived the year, mostly thanks to my best friend and boyfriend, Jacob Black. I felt my heart lift and a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth just thinking about him. He didn't go to my high school- he lived out at La Push, the nearby reservation, and went to school there. But my father and his father were old friends, so I'd visited with him a lot. And despite the fact that he was more than a year younger than me, I'd connected better with him than with anyone else I'd ever met. I'd spent the majority of my summer with him, hanging out on the beaches of La Push. Now I was starting my junior year, and this was the first day.

I had friends at school too, of course, and I saw a group of them talking now under the sheltered part of the school. I splashed my way over to join them, knowing I had a while left before the bell rang to go to class.

"Hey, everybody," I said, coming to stand between Angela and Jessica.

"Oh Bella, look look!" Jessica squealed, bouncing up and down in excitement and pointing back towards the parking lot. "Aren't they _gorgeous_?"

"What?" I asked, squinting to see through the pouring rain.

"There are some new students today," Angela murmured, "See? They just pulled up in that silver Volvo."

I saw them now. There were 5 of them, and they were just leaving the car and walking towards us. And even through the rain, I could see that Jessica was right. They were all strikingly beautiful. And despite the fact that all 5 of them would stand out in a crowd because of their beauty, one in particular drew my eye. He was tall, but not as tall as the two other boys with him, and had messy bronze hair I could barely see beneath the hood of his rain jacket. The way he moved was smooth and graceful, even walking through the puddles of the parking lot. His skin was pale- even paler than mine- but not in a freaky albino way. And his face was so beautiful that I found myself unable to describe it.

"Bella? Earth to Bella…"

I tore my eyes away from him to look at Angela. Her eyebrows were raised questioningly- she'd noticed my staring. I blushed and looked down, reminding myself that I already had a boyfriend. A humorous, attractive, kind, _perfect_ boyfriend. The bronze-haired boy was just a pretty face, and I had no clue what was behind it. I tried to keep that in mind as he and his siblings walked by, the wind blowing from behind them and sending a whiff of their wonderful scent our way. The bronze-haired boy's eyes flicked over each one of us as he passed, and they were a deep, golden color. When his eyes met mine, I swear they lingered for a bit longer on me than anyone else. A puzzled expression came over his face and he seemed to look closer, and I felt heat rush to my face as a strange feeling seeped through me. His eyes continued to bore into mine until he turned a cornered and disappeared.

"Wow…" Jessica breathed, her eyes wide. "Do you think they'd come and sit with us at lunch? Probably, if I ask…I hope we have lots of classes with them, those three guys especially! Do you think they're in our grade? They might be older, they look older…but there's nothing wrong with them being older, right? If anything, that's better… Oh my gosh, they're so hot! Ang, don't you think that-"

Her babbling was cut off by the bell, warning us that classes started soon. I couldn't seem to find my voice, so I just nodded to them before stumbling off.

No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on my classes that morning, I couldn't seem to clear my head of that feeling I'd gotten when his golden eyes had stared deep into mine.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Hope you all liked the first chapter. Please review, even if you just want to tell me it's a really awful. I'd be cool with that. Anyway, I hope to update every few days or so, but I'm not sure how busy I'll be. To be honest, I'm not sure where this story is going yet. It'll be a surprise to you and me both. Hope you keep reading it! Remember to review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**_

_**Thanks to Sdominas21 for the review. Yay for reviews! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy Chapter 2.**_

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

I plunked my tray down on the lunch table next to Jessica and sat down heavily. My morning had been far from ideal- I'd been called on twice in History class when I wasn't paying attention, and managed to trip over my own feet on the way to my desk in Trig because I was daydreaming.

Daydreaming about _him_. For some reason, I couldn't seem to get him out of my head. I didn't even know his name, but I was completely obsessed. I was beginning to get really annoyed with myself.

"Hey," I mumbled to Jessica, "How've your classes been so far?"

I picked at my food while I waited for her answer, but she didn't reply. I looked up to find her staring off across the cafeteria, completely transfixed. I followed her gaze, and felt my heart jolt when I saw that she was looking at the five new students sitting at a table together. They were alone, and the concentration of beauty at that table contrasted starkly with the absolute plainness around them. They weren't really talking, and their food was untouched. I was suddenly struck by how similar they were to each other, but at the same time how incredibly different. They had the same beauty, seemingly natural grace, pale skin, and golden eyes. But their similarities ended there. The bronze-haired boy was very different from his two brothers. One was tall and unbelievably muscular with brown hair, while the other was long and lean with blonde hair. The girls were complete opposites, too. One was the classic gorgeous blonde: elegantly tall with an hourglass figure. The other was tiny- short and extremely thin with dark, spiky hair.

I realized just then that everyone was staring at them- these strange beings that were all so beautiful, so different, and so new. The five students, however, seemed completely oblivious to the fact that every face in the cafeteria was turned towards them. And, despite my awe of the five gorgeous new students, I suddenly felt kind of sorry for them. It must be awkward for them, being new at this abysmally tiny school and being so different. They were good at hiding the awkwardness they felt, but looking at them closer I realized they all looked tense and on-edge. I'd been in the same shoes last year, and I hadn't liked it at all. Remembering how I'd hated people staring at me on my first day in Forks a year ago, I reluctantly turned away and tried talking to Jessica again.

"Hey, Jess," I nudged her gently to get her attention. "How were your classes?"

She sighed and looked impatiently towards me. "They were all right. Ooh, but I had Edward and Alice in my second period class."

I knew she must be talking about two of the new students. "Which ones are they?"

"Um, Alice is the small one with the dark hair," she said, nodding towards their table across the lunch room. "And Edward is the one with the bronze hair."

I would have rolled my eyes at the dreamy expression on Jessica's face, but I was too busy trying to prevent the rush of heat that rose into my cheeks. Why was I so obsessed with this boy I'd never even spoken to? I felt another bubble of frustration rise up inside me.

Jessica suddenly gasped. "Don't look now, Bella," she murmured into my ear, "but Edward just looked up and is staring _right_ at you."

My bubble of frustration popped, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Really?" I couldn't help but glance up, and sure enough he was. I looked back down at my tray as soon as my eyes met his, and I felt my face turn scarlet.

"Yes, _really_. And he's still looking! Oh my gosh…but you already have a boyfriend, Bella."

I knew exactly what Jessica was thinking. She liked this Edward- she liked him a lot. The only reason she wasn't upset about him staring at me was because I was already taken. She knew how close Jacob and I were, and knew I'd never betray him. Despite how close I was to Jacob, though, I was still blushing

"So do you know the names of the others, Jess?" I asked, trying to distract us both.

"Yeah, but they're all seniors. The blonde girl's name is Rosalie," I could hear the hint of resentment in Jess's voice- she was definitely jealous. "The tall blonde guy is Jasper, and the really buff one is Emmett. Get this, though, Bella. Apparently, some of them are _together_. As in, _dating_."

"What? That's ridiculous." This family might be strange, but I doubted they were _that_ strange.

"No, really! I've heard this from, like, at least 10 different people."

"I really don't think so, Jess," I said, shaking my head. "I mean, that would be illegal, wouldn't it? If they're all brothers and sisters? Not to mention disgusting…"

"No, they're not actually all brothers and sisters. They're all adopted by this doctor who just started working at the hospital, Carlisle Cullen, and his wife. I don't think his wife can have children, or something, so they just adopted a whole bunch of kids."

"Oh. But still, dating each other?"

"Yeah! I mean it, Bella, I really think they are. Apparently Emmett and Rosalie have been going out for like, forever, and so have Jasper and Alice. Edward, however, is still single."

My heart rose when Jessica said Edward was single, but I made an effort to smoosh it back down. I was _not_ going to date Edward. Not now, not ever. In fact, I wasn't even going to think about dating him. Or think about him at all.

I realized that Jessica was looking for my response to this strange phenomenon of dating adopted brothers and sisters. "Woah, weird," I mumbled.

"I mean, have you ever heard of anything like that? Like, even in Phoenix?"

The bell rang, and I was saved from having to answer.

"Hey, I've got to go," I said, standing up. "Biology next."

"Oh, I've got that class too! See you there!"

I headed off to dump my tray, then grabbed my bag and went outside to get to the biology building. I slipped in the mud on the way there, though, and had to take a detour to the bathroom to wash my hands off. I ended up getting to class just as the bell rang, so there was only one seat left. And, to my chagrin, that one seat was right next to Edward Cullen.

It was going to be very difficult for me to avoid thinking about him.

"Okay, everybody, take your seats," the teacher said, even though I was the only one still standing. I shuffled obediently over to the seat and sat down. I could feel the embarrassing heat rising in my cheeks, so I was glad that the fan sitting at the front of the classroom was pointed at me blew and cool air across my face. I took care not to look at Edward as I bent down to retrieve my books from my bag. I glanced up involuntarily, however, when I heard the harsh squeak of his chair sliding against the linoleum floor.

What I saw when I looked up at his face made the breath catch in my chest, and I was suddenly very, very afraid.

His eyes, molten gold and flashing in the bright light that was shining down from above our lab table, were wild and full of unmistakable hatred and rage. They bored relentlessly into me as I met his eyes, and I instinctively shrunk back in my chair. Everything about him at this moment – from his burning eyes to his obviously superior height and strength- intimidated and even frightened me. I wasn't breathing at all, and I could see my petrified reflection on the surface of his eyes. I was completely frozen, my frightened eyes locked with his wild ones, as I waited for him to act on his rage.

The faint click of the teacher turning the fan off at the front of the classroom broke through the intensity of the moment, and suddenly I was aware of everyone else around me. I wasn't frozen anymore, and I took a shaky breath. Edward reacted to the sound, too, and the wildness faded from of his eyes. In one fast and fluid motion he turned and slid his chair as far away from me as possible, sitting on the very edge of his seat and leaning away to increase the distance. I could see the tendons of his forearm standing out against his pale skin as he clenched his left hand into a tight fist. His entire posture was tense, and he was clearly straining to be as far away from me as possible.

What in the world had I done wrong?

I forced myself to look away from Edward, allowing my long hair to fall like a curtain between us. I was blushing ridiculously, I knew, and I could only hope that the rest of the class hadn't noticed the bizarre moment that had just passed between us. The teacher was starting his lecture, probably telling us about his class policies and what the class was going to cover during the year. I didn't pay attention at all, and I didn't even catch the teacher's name. I just sat there, hunched slightly and hiding behind the veil of my hair, wishing I could make myself invisible.

I couldn't understand what I'd done to make Edward hate me so much. We hadn't spoken so much as a single word to each other. I was suddenly very self-conscious of everything about myself, from my makeup-free face to my personality. I hoped nobody was looking at me.

I really wanted to see Jacob now. I felt like I belonged when I was with him - I never felt like this.

I endured the rest of the biology class by telling myself that the problem here was Edward's, not mine, but the time still dragged. I tried to pass the time by paying attention the teacher (whose name I still didn't know) and what he was saying, but his droning on about class policies couldn't keep me interested for long. I kept noticing how Edward's hand was still balled into a tight fist out of the corner of my eye. I wished he would unclench his fist - then the tension that was palpable in the air between us might abate.

But his fist never unclenched, and by the time the teacher finished his lecture I was desperate to get out of the room. I was looking forward to going to see Jacob after school, but I still had to go to P.E. class. I didn't know what I'd do if Edward was in that class with me, too- I didn't think I could handle another class like this one.

The bell rang, and everyone's chairs scraped back from the desks as they stood up to gather their books and leave. A strange hush fell over the room as Edward, the fastest to scoop us his books, paced swiftly across the room and out the door. The class was silent for a moment after he'd left, and then whispers broke out all across the room. I blushed- the rest of the class had obviously noticed Edward's strange behavior towards me. I didn't really want to talk about it with anyone, so I stuffed my books quickly into my bag and left the room.

Even though Edward had exited the building only a few seconds before me, he was already far enough away that I could barely see him through the pouring rain. I watched his retreating back and was relieved when he turned and headed in the opposite direction of the gym. I was about to turn away from Edward's distant, blurry form when another blurry person caught my attention. The unknown person, female judging by their tiny size, ran across the grass to join Edward. Even through the rain I could see that her movements were incredibly smooth and almost unnaturally quick. Based on the person's size and movements, I was almost certain the person was Alice Cullen. When Alice reached Edward's side, he bent his head down so it was closer to hers. They appeared to be in deep conversation as they walked quickly together in the direction of the parking lot. I was extremely curious about what they were saying, and I wondered why they were heading towards the parking lot instead of to class. I watched their quickly retreating forms until they were completely concealed by the rain, and then I remembered that I still had a class to attend. I hunched deeper into hood of my jacket, suddenly feeling cold, and hurried off across the muddy grass to the gym.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Hope you all liked it. I probably won't be able to update for at least a couple of days- I have to study for finals (blah). But I'll update as soon as I can. Please write reviews!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hey everybody. Sorry this chapter took so long to get up - finals ate my life for a while. But now it's here, so I hope you like it. Read, review (pretty please with sugar on top, review!), and enjoy. _**

**_This chapter is quite a bit longer than my other two, and I hope you guys don't mind. My chapters tend to vary in length - I don't really plan how long each chapter will be, I just plan for what I want to happen in each chapter. Hope that's all cool with you. _**

**_Okay, that pretty much wraps it up for the author's note. Just one last thing to add before the story begins...Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters._**

* * *

My truck roared to life once I turned the keys in the ignition, and I immediately cranked up the heater. It was unusually cold for the start of the school year – even for rainy and dreary Forks. I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them with the friction, before I wrapped them around the chilly steering wheel. I was grateful we hadn't been required to change into gym clothes for P.E. today, because the gym had been freezing cold. Instead, Coach Clapp had asked us all sit on the bleachers while she told us what games we would be playing in the class this year. She had all sorts of tortures lined up for me, including flag football, soccer, floor hockey, volleyball, and tennis. She'd also made a speech about the dress code for the class: no short shorts, no boxers visible above the shorts for guys, no belly buttons should be seen, etc – all not much of a problem for me. I'd never been one to expose excessive amounts of my frighteningly pale skin to the public.

The class had flown by pretty quickly, though, because I'd been in a good mood despite the klutzy disasters that were likely to occur in that class later on. Perhaps it wasn't so much of a _good_ mood as a _relieved_ mood. Coach Clapp had read off the role call at the beginning of class, and Edward hadn't been on the list. This meant that, even if Edward had been skipping class with his sister, Alice, like he'd appeared to be doing when they'd hurried off to the parking lot, I'd never have to deal with him in the gym. That was a major relief – the least I had to do with him, the better. I still didn't understand why he'd hated me so much and so quickly. It was all a mystery to me, and I'd decided that all things mysterious were best avoided. So I'd deal with Edward in biology, and have nothing to do with him outside of the class. A simple solution, or so it seemed.

I backed out of my parking space and followed the line of cars exiting the school lot. I turned onto the highway and drove home, spraying the water that had accumulated on the road out around the truck. The windshield wipers looked like they were performing some strange, frenzied dance across my windshield as they operated on high. The efforts of my faithful wipers appeared futile, however, because I still could barely see well enough to drive at all. I was surprised the wipers hadn't broken by now, seeing how often I had to use them in Forks.

It didn't take me long to get home, and I parked my truck in its usual spot. I didn't bother to lock the door once I got out- who would want to steal my ancient truck, anyway? I liked it well enough, but it was hardly the nicest car in Forks. The nicest car I'd seen around was probably Edward's silver Volvo…

I scowled and tried to force all thoughts of Edward out of my head. They kept coming back, and it was annoying me. Just like all roads led to Rome, all trains of thought seemed to lead to Edward.

Urg.

I hurried to get inside the house, but I was already soaked by the time I got there. It was really pouring out there, even more than normal. I dropped my bag by the door and grabbed the phone, automatically dialing Jacob's number.

I was impatient now – it seemed like it'd been forever since I'd heard Jacob's voice, even though I'd been with him yesterday. I always looked forward to calling Jacob, though, especially after spending the day at school. He was the only person I felt like I could be myself with, my only true friend. I had my school friends, like Jessica, Mike, and Angela, but they just weren't the same. Jessica was constantly going after guys and looking for good gossip, Mike was always flirting with me, and Angela was so quiet that it was hard to talk to her sometimes. I never had any problems with Jacob, though. He was kind of like a best friend and a boyfriend, all in one. I liked his school friends better than my own, too. They were all kind of like family now.

Jacob got off school earlier than me, so it surprised me when nobody picked up the phone. I frowned, and then hung up. Maybe they just hadn't gotten to the phone fast enough - Billy was hardly Speedy Gonzales in his wheelchair, and Jacob could have been busy. I dialed again and waited, phone to my ear. I thought that they actually might not be home when the phone rang several times without an answer, but finally someone picked up after the seventh ring.

"Hello?"

I could hear the low rumble of many male voices in the background, but I recognized the voice speaking to me right away. "Oh, hi Jake!"

"Hey Bella," Jacob said, sounding harassed, "What's up?"

"Um," I mumbled, startled by his tone, "I was wondering when you wanted me to come over."

"Bella, I really don't think you should come over here today."

I was surprised, and a little hurt. What was wrong with me today? First Edward, now Jacob…apparently nobody could deal with me. "Oh, okay," I mumbled, trying hard not to sound upset, "I guess I'll just talk to you later, then…"

Jacob knew me too well for that. "Oh, no, I want to see you Bella," Jacob exclaimed urgently, "It's just that there's this big hubbub going on down at the reservation…all the tribe's elders are really upset. They're all over here at Billy's house right now, and because it's pouring buckets outside they're all crammed into the living room."

"Oh," I said, laughing slightly now. "I suppose your house isn't exactly perfect for having lots of company over, is it?"

Jacob snorted into the phone – his box-sized house was small enough that Jacob alone seemed to fill up an entire room. Having more than a couple people at a time over was usually out of the question. I didn't know how Billy and the rest of the elders were managing to squish into the Blacks' teeny living room.

"What sort of hubbub is it, Jacob?" I asked, suddenly realizing how serious it must be for all the elders to be so upset. "Nobody's hurt or anything, are they?"

"No, no…nothing like that." Jacob's voice was wary and uncomfortable.

"What's up, then?"

"Um," he murmured, still cautious, "I can't really talk about it here."

"Oh. Um…" There was a pause.

"Hey, why don't I come over to your place?" Jacob suggested. "I can drive myself there."

"Jake, you don't even have your license yet!"

"Aw, Bells, you know I won't get caught. It's a short drive, not even ten minutes."

"It _should_ take more than ten minutes, you only get here so fast because you speed! You'd be in so much trouble if you got caught. Imagine if Charlie pulled you over–"

"He won't, Bella, he won't! Trust me, okay?"

I sighed. "Alright, Jake. Promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"Scout's honor."

"See you in a few, then."

"See you soon."

He hung up, and I set the phone back in its cradle. I knew I shouldn't be worried – Jake drove his father around all the time – but it would be massively awkward for all involved if my father, Charlie, pulled over my boyfriend and took him in for driving without a license. Charlie approved of my relationship with Jake, but I'm pretty sure my father would have objections if he ended up having to arrest Jake.

I sat down on the couch in the living room to wait, but I didn't turn on the TV. Instead I simply stared out the window, watching sheets of water pour like mini-waterfalls off the roof of the house and to the ground, splattering and creating tunnels in the mud as it flowed away. The rain pattered against the roof in a way that was both familiar and comforting. I regarded the rain almost as if it were the heartbeat of Forks and its forests – without it, nothing would be the same. Forks was defined by the eternally green and misty aura that the forests around it cast, and those could not exist without the rain that came down here almost every day. I'd come to accept and even embrace the way the forests here, so green and deep and mysterious, made me feel sheltered and safe. It was strange to think that, when I'd first moved to Forks, the sound of the rain had made me restless and unable to sleep at night.

Many things about me had changed since I'd moved to Forks, most having to do with Jacob. I'd lived in Phoenix before Forks, and I'd never even come close to having a boyfriend there. I'd even been grateful in Phoenix that I _didn't_ have a boyfriend. It'd always seemed like a lot of effort and work to get and keep a boyfriend, and I'd never wanted any part of it. But with Jacob, it'd been incredibly _easy_. There'd been nothing remotely hard or even awkward about it. Jacob's father, Billy, was an old friend of Charlie's, and they'd been getting together for games for years. Because Billy was in a wheelchair, Jacob often ended up driving him over to Charlie's when Billy came to visit. I'd met Jacob and Billy a few days after starting school in Forks, and I'd immediately thought Jacob was a nice change from the people I'd met at school. Jacob seemed to feel similarly about me, because he started finding more and more reasons to come over to Charlie's. I enjoyed his company, so I started going over to the Blacks' house whenever Charlie went to visit Billy. When Charlie told me he was buying the Blacks' old truck for me and that Jacob was fixing it up, I'd used that as an excuse to go over to the Blacks' to watch Jacob working on the truck in his garage.

Our friendship had developed into a much more intimate relationship in a blur of afternoons in the garage, trips to Hoquiam for parts, walks on the La Push beaches, and quiet conversations alone while our fathers watched games nearby. He'd started holding my hand as we walked down the beach as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I'd been completely comfortable with it. It hadn't seemed at all out of place or even surprising when he'd kissed me for the first time, right after our mini-celebration for completing my truck. Nothing we did together ever felt wrong, and I always felt happy just to be with him. It was simple and easy for us, and I never wanted any of it to change.

And for the most part, things didn't change. My relationship with Jacob was just as steady and dependable as the rain in this misty, green town. I'd come to love both of these new constants of my life in Forks. Some people would call the endless gray and overcast state of Forks dreary, but who needed sunny weather when one had a warm, eternally cheerful, and perfect best friend and boyfriend like Jacob? I certainly didn't.

I could barely see anything through the rain-streaked windowpanes of the living room, but I did catch sight of a large blur going by on the street outside. I heard the wet, _whooshing_ noise of tires spinning through water puddles, and then the sound of a motor cutting off. I rose from the coach and trotted to the front door, wrenching it open to wait for my Jacob.

I smiled involuntarily as he approached, and even through the rain I could see the whiteness of his teeth against his russet skin as he smiled back. I was startled again by how incredibly tall he was – it seemed like he was always taller than when I'd seen him last, and I'd seen him just yesterday. He reached the porch of the house in only a few long strides, and I opened the door wider to let him in. He had to duck through the doorway to fit, and I was about to tease him about his height when his eyes met mine.

This completely derailed my train of thought. His deep-set, dark eyes were bright and cheerful, just like always, but the moment they locked on my eyes something in them changed. Deeper down, I could see something spark to life like fire, and I could feel a very similar fire coming to life inside of me. I felt a surge of heat rush to my face, and Jacob's smile widened knowingly as he saw me blush.

"Hey, Bells," he whispered, his voice husky and deep.

"Hey," I responded, just as quietly.

Without taking his eyes off me, Jacob shrugged out of his soaking wet jacket and reached behind him to hang it on the rack by the door. I extended my arm out to the side to find the door with my hand and push it shut, also without breaking eye contact.

"You're soaked," I murmured, reaching up to brush his damp, chin-length hair behind his ear. My hand brushed against his cheek, and the fire in his eyes burned brighter. Jacob wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer, his hand warm as it pressed gently against the small of my back. His other hand cupped my cheek as he bent his head down towards me, and I rose up on my toes to meet him halfway. His lips, warm and soft, pressed against mine, and I hooked both my arms around his neck to pull him even closer. I closed my eyes and knotted my fingers in his long hair as the kiss deepened. Jacob's hands were incredibly gentle, and while he held me close he did not crush me to him. His lips moved slowly and softly with mine, his warm and woodsy-smelling breath fanning across my face.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead against mine as we both caught our breath. I opened my eyes to see a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I touched my lips gently to his one last time before I unwrapped my arms from around his neck. I allowed my right hand to trail across his shoulder and down his arm as I turned away, and when my hand touched his he caught my hand and held it.

I led the way to the kitchen. We would usually spend our time together at my house in the kitchen so I could work on making Charlie's dinner. Jacob didn't release my hand until I got to the sink to wash my hands, and then he jumped up so he could sit on the counter while he watched me work.

"How was school for you today?" he asked me while I took out a bag of chips and mixed together some dip for us to share as a snack.

"It was fine, I guess. Same old, same old."

"But it's a whole new year, with new classes and stuff…you're an upperclassman, too. That has to mean something."

"Meh," I shrugged, placing the bowl of dip on top of a napkin next to the chips. I leaned against the counter running perpendicular to the one he was sitting on so I could face him and still be standing close to him. "I mostly have the same teachers as last year, and all the people are the same, basically, so…It really doesn't feel that different. The freshmen this year look really short, though. There's no way I was that short when I was a freshman."

Jacob snorted. "You're that short _now_, Bella." He dunked a chip into the dip and popped it into his mouth.

"Hey! Just because you're freaky tall doesn't mean you get to make fun of us _normal_ people."

"You arenot normal, Bella," he mumbled through the chips that were stuffed into his mouth. "You're really short."

"Five-four is perfectly average, thank you very much," I muttered, taking a chip for myself. "Just because you're twenty feet tall, or whatever you are…"

Jacob just smiled and helped himself to another handful of chips.

Changing the topic, I asked, "Hey, what's got all the La Push elders upset?"

Jacob's face immediately took on an irritated expression. "Urg. Bella, it's so ridiculous. You probably won't even believe me when I tell you."

"Try me."

"Well, gosh, Bella. It has to do with this stupid story – I suppose you could call it a legend – that the Quileute tribe has. It's really weird and fake, of course, but…gah. I'm not really supposed to tell you about it."

I was confused. "You're not supposed to tell me some legend that your tribe has? That's bizarre…why the heck aren't you supposed to tell me?"

Jacob hesitated, biting his lip and looking at the floor. "Well, it wouldn't be such a big deal if it were just some normal legend, but…apparently, Billy and the rest of the elders actually _believe_ in it."

"What do you mean?"

"As in, Billy and the elders all think it's real. They believe that the things in the legend actually happened, and are still happening."

"Oh," I said, still puzzled. I was curious, too. What legend had the old men of La Push all worked up? "Well, if you can't tell me, then I suppose I won't bug you about it…"

I bent my head down slightly so that I could peek up through my lashes at Jacob, a pleading look in my eyes. He met my eyes and smiled slightly, sighing as he recognized the curiosity burning there.

"Alright, Bella. I'll tell you. But don't go spreading the story all over the place, okay? Billy would kill me, even though he knows I think this whole thing is ridiculous."

I smiled, grabbing a handful of chips and pulling myself up on the counter so I was also sitting. I sensed a good, long story coming.

_________________________________________________________________________

"Our tribe has many legends," Jacob began, his voice taking on a slightly theatrical tone. "Many of them date back the Great Flood. One of the legends says that we, the Quileutes, are descended from wolves. It's against tribal law to kill wolves, in fact, because they're supposed to be our brothers still.

"According to the legend, some of our ancestors were men that could turn into wolves." Jacob chuckled softly. "I suppose you could call them werewolves."

"Werewolves?" I asked, my voice somewhat skeptical. "What does that have to do with the elders being upset today?"

"I'm getting there," Jacob insisted, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry," I muttered, putting my hand over my mouth. Jacob smiled slightly and rolled his eyes, and then continued his story.

"The legends say that the werewolves only had one enemy, known as the cold ones. The cold ones were powerful, graceful, and human-like creatures with very pale skin. They were cold and hard, like stone, but also very beautiful. They also have red eyes because their diet consisted of human blood, and nothing else."

"Wait, like vampires?"

"Exactly."

An image floated across my mind – a group of five people, all inhumanly graceful and beautiful, approaching me from a school parking lot. They fit Jacob's description perfectly, except for one thing…I shoved the image out of my mind, scolding myself for letting my imagination get out of hand.

"Werewolves in my tribe existed to protect the Quileute people," Jacob continued, "or so the legend says. Basically, they would hunt down any of the cold ones that came near enough to be a threat to our people. But then a new group of the cold ones came into the area, and they were very different than the rest. They claimed that they drank the only the blood of animals, not the blood of humans. The werewolves believed them because their eyes were not red like the rest of the cold ones – their eyes were gold."

The image shoved its way into my mind again, and this time I could not disperse it so easily. The pale skin, the beauty, the grace, the eyes…it _all _fit. The sane part of my mind argued that Jacob's tale was a myth and nothing more, while the not-so-sane part insisted that this could not all be coincidence.

"My great-grandfather was alive during this time," Jacob continued, apparently unaware of the battle waging inside my head, "and he supposedly made a treaty with these cold ones that, as long as they stayed off the tribe's land and bit no humans, the werewolves would keep their secret and not attack them."

I was momentarily distracted from my mind's civil war. "Your great-grandfather?"

"Yep. Apparently, he was a werewolf, too." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Anyway, these new cold ones were allowed to live nearby, masquerading as humans. But because the cold ones never age – they're immortal – they eventually had to move away before people noticed that they never got older. The golden-eyed cold ones left, and the men of our tribe stopped becoming werewolves. According to legend, my great-grandfather was one of the very last."

__________________________________________________________________________

The kitchen was very quiet. Several long, silent seconds passed.

"Um, Bella?" Jacob murmured, leaning forward so that my eyes, which had been staring aimlessly off into the distance, met his. Whatever he saw in my eyes amused him, because he suddenly smiled. "Did I creep you out, or something? It's just some silly tribal legend."

"Jacob," I began carefully, "why does this old legend have the elders all freaked out now?"

"Well, Bella," Jacob said, "it has them all freaked out because…" His voice trailed off, and he looked slightly guilty and uncomfortable.

"Go on," I whispered, even though I was pretty sure I already knew what he was going to say.

Jacob exhaled heavily, looking down the floor. "Alright, this is going to sound ridiculous," he grumbled, "but all the elders are flipping out because they think that the cold ones that made the treaty all those years ago have come back."

It was quiet for another moment.

"They think the Cullens are the cold ones," I said. It was a statement, not a question, because I was sure.

Jacob's head snapped up. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"I … saw them in school today. They're the only new people in the area that I know of."

"Oh. So you know this is all rubbish, right? They were just normal people."

I hesitated. "Well, they were…kind of odd, actually."

Jacob's eyes widened. "You don't seriously believe that–"

"But it's not like they were vampires or anything," I cut him off, seeing that he wasn't going buy into the legend. "They were just weird, you know. They had the pale skin and the golden eyes, and all that stuff. They kept to themselves…" My voice trailed off as I saw Jacob staring at me like I was insane.

Maybe I was.

"Oh, nevermind," I muttered, "You just have me all creeped out with your freaky legends. You're a better story-teller than you give yourself credit for." I smiled slightly, trying to convince Jacob that I really didn't believe in ludicrous tales. I was trying to convince myself of that, too.

Jacob laughed. "Sorry, I didn't know I was that good at telling the legends. You should hear my dad tell them – he'll really get the chills running up and down your spine."

I hopped off the counter, brushing my hands off hastily on my jeans to get rid of the chip crumbs. "He'll have to tell me another legend someday. But right now, I really need to start Charlie's dinner."

"Any way I can help?" Jacob asked.

I snorted. "No, you'd only get in the way. Or you'd eat all the food the second I finished making it. Just stay right there."

Jacob smiled wider, leaning back against the cabinets and making a show of settling in to wait. I would have smiled with him, but his story was still nagging on my mind. I needed something to distract myself from the legend before I went completely insane.

"Jacob," I said, walking over and placing my hand on his knee, "could you do me a favor?"

He leaned forward so that his face was only a few inches from mine. "Anything you want," he said.

I smiled. "Could you tell me a really funny story about Quil?"

Jacob laughed, closing the gap between his face and mine with a swift kiss before leaning back against the cabinets again. "Your wish is my command," he said. "And I actually do have a great story. You know Quil - we haven't even been in school for even a full week yet, and he's already managed to stir up trouble."

"Ah, yes, I do know Quil." I sighed theatrically, turning away from Jacob to open the fridge.

Jacob launched into his story, which was just as entertaining and distracting as I'd hoped it would be. The legend of the werewolves and the cold ones moved into the back of my mind, just as I'd intended, but it was not forgotten.

* * *

**_Ta-da! The end of Chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed. Now pleasepleaseplease review :D It would really make my day, and I am going to respond to all of the reviews people send me. Sdominas21, I'm sorry took so long to respond to your review, but you gave me my very first review and I hadn't figured out how to actually respond to it at that point :P (yeah, computer-related stuff really isn't my forte). But you get bonus points for being the first ever to review my story. _**

**_Anyway, Chapter 4 should not take as long for me to write. I'm pretty sure I know what's going to happen in that chapter. In fact, the next few chapters are pretty much planned out - roughly, anyway. The overall outcome of the story, however, is still undecided. I'm leaning a little in one direction, but if you'd like to tell me what you think the overall outcome of the story should be, then you're welcome to suggest stuff to me. I'm open to other ideas. This story is actually leading me in rather surprising directions, which is kind of fun._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone. Thanks to all who reviewed…you people are officially awesome :D Sorry it took so long to update – I'm out of the country right now, so I didn't have any computer access until tonight. **

**I'm including some events from the real Twilight series in the next few chapters, but beware: the timing of these events will be completely different. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

* * *

The rest of the week passed normally…for the most part. I went to school, did my homework, and cooked dinner for myself and Charlie. I saw Jacob after school almost every day, too, of course. Jacob and I alternated between hanging out in his garage and spending time in my kitchen. We talked about school, Jacob's friends, the horrible weather, and other random things. We didn't, however, mention the wolf and vampire legends again. Jake had obviously dismissed them as being ridiculous stories and nothing more, and I was pretty sure he was embarrassed by how much stock Billy put in them. I didn't want to rock the boat by bringing up the legend again.

No matter how ridiculous Jacob thought his father's superstitions were, however, Billy undeniably had at least one thing right: the Cullens were _not _a normal family. I watched them that week in school and couldn't help but think that there was something to the Quileute legends. The Cullens' extreme grace and beauty, which awed and shocked me every time I saw them, was not normal. I couldn't get used to it. They stood out from the rest of the Forks High students, particularly because they never really mixed in with the rest of us. They kept to themselves – walking from class to class together, talking only amongst themselves, sitting at the same table at lunch. I say sitting at the same table, not eating at the same table, because they never ate. Vampires or not, the Cullens were not like the rest of the people in Forks.

I would have been content to ignore the Cullens and their strange ways if Edward hadn't acted so oddly towards me that first day. When I'd returned to school on Tuesday, the day after our encounter, I'd dreaded going to Biology. I might have even skipped class if I hadn't glanced sneakily at the Cullens' table during lunch and noticed that he wasn't there. Edward hadn't shown up for school on Tuesday, so it was with relief that I sat alone at my biology table.

Then Edward didn't show up for school the next day, or the next…he didn't show up all week.

My relief morphed slowly into worry as the days went by. Surely I wasn't the reason Edward was missing so much school? Maybe he was sick, or there was some sort of a family problem keeping him home from school…a household full of adopted teens had to have its share of troubles like that, right?

Charlie seemed to be thinking along those lines.

"Bella," Charlie began over dinner Wednesday night, "I hear there are some new kids in town. The Cullens?"

I nearly choked on my green beans, but I managed to get them down with minimal coughing. "Um, yeah Dad. What about them?"

"I was just wondering…what do you think about them?"

I gave Charlie a puzzled look, but he avoided my gaze. He wasn't one for idle chat, so I knew he was up to something. "They seemed…alright," I hedged. "They keep to themselves, mostly. I really haven't talked to any of them, but I suppose they're nice enough." I wasn't about to tell my father about how Edward had given me the death glare for no apparent reason on Monday. Charlie didn't need to know, and I didn't particularly want to tell him.

Charlie harrumphed in reply and resumed eating.

"Why do you ask?" I queried.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. "Oh, you know," he mumbled, "I don't want to be judgmental or anything, it's just that…a family moving in with all those adopted kids…I don't want there to be any trouble, that's all."

"Ah." I nodded. Charlie was the sheriff in Forks, so it made sense for him to be concerned. I returned to my food, and we settled into a comfortable silence.

So Charlie was satisfied with the Cullens, but most of the other people I knew were not. Jessica seemed to be taking Edward's absence personally, and my other friends were annoyed with how distant the rest of the Cullens were. Mike didn't like how superior Jasper and Emmet acted, and Lauren was furious that they'd decided not to sit with us at lunch. So instead of continuing to try and befriend the Cullens, Jessica and Lauren decided to gossip about them instead. They latched onto the rumor that some of the Cullens were dating each other and spread it.

I was incredibly glad when the week finally drew to a close. I was tired of hearing my friends' gossip, and I was looking forward to a weekend of just hanging with Jacob.

That all changed when Jacob called me Saturday morning.

"Hey Bella," he said. I was surprised to hear the rumble of many loud voices in the background again.

"Hey Jake, what's up?"

"Nothing good." His voice was serious, and I could hear a genuine note of concern and anxiety there. "I don't think I'll be able to see you today."

"Jacob, what's wrong?" I'd never heard his voice this serious.

There was a pause as Jacob tried to compose himself. "A guy from the reservation's gone missing," he replied. "Nobody has a clue where he is. He was supposed to meet his girlfriend somewhere last night, and when he never showed up she got worried. She tried to call him and then find him at his house, but there was no sign of him. And then…"

His voice trailed off. For several seconds, I could only hear the indistinct sound of tense voices in the background and the static of the phone.

"Jake?" I whispered.

He cleared his throat. "Then, in the forest just behind his house, they found his clothes. They were completely ripped to shreds…his shoes, too."

Silence. The only response I had to give was a horrified silence.

Then the questions – many questions like _why? where? what?_ and_ how?_ – overwhelmed me. They crashed into my mind like fast-flowing water, hitting hard and fast and filling up all the empty spaces. I was drowning in them, struggling to tread water and stay afloat because I didn't want to know the answers. But the water was too high and I sunk, and the one question I _must_ know the answer to burst out.

"Who?" I asked, voice cracking.

"Sam Uley."

Relief seeped through me – I didn't know that name – but then came guilt. Whether I knew him or not should not matter, but it did.

"He's older than us," Jacob continued. "He's about twenty, I'd guess. His father was one of the elders, like my dad. Leah Clearwater is his girlfriend, and she wants everyone who can to go out looking for him."

I knew Leah a bit more. My father was good friends with her father, Harry, so I'd met her once or twice.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"No, not really. My father's trying to organize a search, but we have to be careful. You see, right next to Sam's clothes, they found these huge animal tracks. Big enough to be bear tracks, but not the right shape. Nobody knows what's out there, and they're worried that whatever it is may have…" He hesitated, struggling to find words that wouldn't upset me. "They think it might have met Sam."

I was upset anyway. "You're not going out there, are you?" I demanded, fear and panic obvious in my voice.

"No, Bella," Jacob soothed, "I'm not. I don't know the forest well enough to be very helpful out there, anyway. I'm staying here to help Dad organize everything and keep everyone calm."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" I offered one last time.

"I'm positive. My dad and I are holding down the fort here."

"Alright, if you're sure." I sighed. "I suppose I should let you go."

"Yeah. Wish I were with you, Bells. I'll try to call you sometime soon."

"Alright," I sighed, "Bye, Jake." I started to hang up the phone.

"Wait, Bella."

I returned the phone to my ear. "Yeah, Jake?"

There was a short pause. "Bella, can you make me a promise?"

"Of course."

He hesitated, trying to find the words he wanted. I waited patiently.

"Just…stay safe, alright? Don't go walking in the forest or anything. We don't know what's out there, and I…"Another hesitation. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, that's all."

I laughed softly. "Oh yeah, since I've always been one to go on forest adventures."

"Bella, please?"

I was startled by how serious he sounded. Since when did he not laugh at my sarcastic remarks? I realized he must be really concerned. Concerned about _me_.

"I promise, Jake," I murmured, the serious tone of my voice matching his now. "You be careful too, okay?"

He heard the obvious sincerity in my promise and sighed in relief. "Thank you. And you don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll just be here at the house."

"Alright. I hope everything works out okay."

"Yeah, me too. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay, Jake. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Bella."

He hung up, and then there was nothing but dial tone. I was frozen with the phone pressed to my ear for a long time, staring straight ahead down the cold, empty hallway and into the cold, empty kitchen. Fear washed over me. Whatever had happened to Sam could happen to anyone- me, my friends, or Jacob. My throat constricted in fear; I didn't know what I would do if I lost Jacob.

I shook my head slightly and tried to push my fears away. Whatever was out there wouldn't hurt me as long as I stayed out of the forest, I reasoned. And Jake would be fine at his house. I reassured myself of these things repetitively until I truly believed them.

When I had finally driven my fears away, I hung up the phone. I had an entire empty weekend ahead of me, I realized, and I didn't intent to waste it. There were many things that really needed to be done, like homework and cleaning the bathroom, so I set to work making a hefty to-do list for the weekend. I hoped that being busy would help me avoid thinking about the problems down at La Push.

* * * * * * *

My keep-busy strategy worked. I spent the rest of the weekend doing chores and homework, and by Sunday evening the house was literally sparkling. I got way ahead in all my schoolwork, too. I hoped some of the late nights that came from procrastinating on school projects could be avoided for a while as a result. I didn't worry much about Jacob and the situation at La Push because I was so distracted with house and school work, but everything came back to me when I found myself with nothing to do Sunday night.

Jacob hadn't called me since Saturday morning, but I figured he was busy with the search. Charlie had been down to the reservation to help on Sunday, but apparently there was still no sign of Sam. Plenty of huge animal tracks were found, Charlie told me, but no Sam.

So after spending all of Sunday evening stressing about the missing man and Jacob at La Push, I didn't sleep well that night.

I was tired and preoccupied with worry when I woke up and made my way to school on Monday. I managed to float through my morning classes without really paying attention – I'd gone a little overboard with my school preparation over the weekend – but I was snapped back into reality by Jessica at our lunch table.

"Oh, look, Edward's back!" Jessica squealed, obviously delighted.

My heart jolted painfully in my chest, and all thoughts of La Push were jammed into the far back of my mind.

Edward was back.

Edward. Was. Back.

_Edward_.

I saw him now, sitting at the same lunch table as his adopted siblings. I'd been so preoccupied before that I'd forgotten to look for him.

I immediately thought that I should skip biology. I knew it was the most cowardly way to hand the situation, but I'd never claimed to be brave. Better to be a coward than…

I stopped that train of thought before it finished, realizing how ridiculous it was. Edward had just acted strangely that first day, that was all.

In other words, he had seemed to hate me on sight and he scared the crap out of me, but it wasn't like he was actually going to kill me or something. Hopefully.

I exhaled heavily. I couldn't skip biology forever, obviously, so I'd have to deal with Edward at some point. I told myself that today was as good a day as any. Besides, next to the horrible things going on down at La Push, my fear of Edward and his death glare seemed rather silly.

Just in case, I decided to peek up at Edward to see if he still looked like he wanted to murder me. I glanced across the cafeteria, keeping my head tilted down and looking up through my lashes so that I would appear, from a distance, to be simply staring at my lunch tray.

My eyes quickly found Edward's unusual bronze hair at the Cullens' table, and then I slid my gaze down to his face. I started and nearly looked away when my eyes met his dead-on.

He was staring at me again.

I felt a blush rising in my face, but I ignored it. My gaze locked with his, and neither of us looked away. I was surprised and relieved to see that his expression, like mine, was simply curious. The hate and rage I'd seen in his eyes before were gone.

The corner of his mouth turned down slightly. His face betrayed a hint of frustration and puzzlement. I frowned in response. What was so frustrating and puzzling about me?

The bell rang, and then he finally looked away. I realized that I'd been holding my breath and I released it slowly. Angela, who'd been sitting across from me, heard it.

"You were awfully quiet at lunch today, Bella," she murmured, looking at me with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah Ang, everything's fine," I said, smiling slightly to reassure her. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Oh, that's alright," she replied, standing up and slinging her backpack onto one shoulder. "I've got to head over to Biology. I suppose I'll meet you there?"

"Yeah, Ang. I'll meet you there."

I'd be meeting Edward there, too.

* * *

**Ta-da! Chapter 4 done. Hope you liked it. Please review :D Tell me what you liked or what you didn't. Give me suggestions for how to make it better, or suggestions on how I should write in the future. Any kind of review is great. I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to review my story already - it makes writing so much more fun when you get a response. **

**Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Well, I suppose it's not summer for some of you...so in that case, I hope you're enjoying your winter. Anyway, I hope everyone's having a great time doing whatever it is they do while they're not reading fanfiction :P I'll try to update this for you soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everybody. I know it's been FOREVER since I last updated (I'm talking several months here), but it could not be helped. School started, and homework took over my life. But finally I have a break from school (Yay Thanksgiving Break!), so I'm getting this chapter up and I hope to put up one or two more within the week. **

**This chapter contains a little bit of stuff that happened in the books almost word for word, and then stuff of my own. It's a relatively long chapter, too. Hope everyone enjoys. Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. **

* * *

I dawdled on the way to biology, trying to avoid entering the classroom for as long as possible, and as a result I was very nearly tardy. I slid into the room just as the bell finished buzzing over the intercom. Mr. Banner (whose name I'd finally learned when Edward wasn't there to distract me) raised an eyebrow at me.

"Cutting it a little close today, Miss Swan," he commented. The class snickered as I blushed and hurried to my seat. I was pleased with myself, however, when I managed to sit down and drop my book bag to the floor without glancing towards my lab partner even once.

Mr. Banner finished making marks on his attendance sheet as the class chatted quietly, and then he went into the supply room. I busied myself getting out my biology notebook and a pencil and arranging them perfectly straight in the middle of my side of the table. I knew Edward was sitting beside me - I could see a slight shadow falling across my notebook as I idiotically shifted it back and forth in an attempt to place it perfectly parallel to the top and side of my desktop – but his complete silence made it easy for me to temporarily convince myself that I was alone at my lab table.

Mr. Banner breezed his way back into the classroom carrying a box and wearing a large smile. "Class, we are doing a lab today," he exclaimed, the excitement plain in his voice. The students, quite predictably, groaned and muttered complaints under their breath. Mr. Banner chose to ignore them as he proceeded to explain the lab.

"You will receive a box of slides. They're slides of onion root tip cells, and your task is to determine what phase of mitosis each represents using a microscope. Record your findings on the worksheet you receive. I know we've only been going over this for the past few days, but I'd like you to not use your books for this.

"Also, because we don't have enough microscopes for every person to have their own, you will be working with the person sitting next to you at your lab table. Once I hand you the box of slides, you may begin."

I grimaced. How was I supposed to work with Edward when he'd looked like he wanted to kill me just a week ago? I sat there staring straight ahead while I waited for Mr. Banner to hand us our slides, trying to figure out what to say to Edward to make the situation as not-awkward as possible.

Mr. Banner finally came around to our table, and I was forced to look in Edward's direction to grab the box of slides he was handing me.

"Now, Edward," Mr. Banner said, "I know you missed all but the first day of class last week, but I'd like you to do your best. You may use your book if you have to, but Miss Swan here is a great student and should be able to help you just fine."

Mr. Banner smiled at me and walked away, and I blushed furiously. Great work Mr. Banner, I thought. Great way to make a very awkward situation even worse.

Edward turned and surprised me by smiling in a genuinely friendly manner. "Hello," he said in a soft, strangely musical voice. "My name is Edward Cullen. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to introduce myself last week – I wasn't feeling very well. I'm still new here, so I'm afraid I don't know your name yet."

I was completely confused now, and gaping at him as I struggled to decide if I'd imagined everything about him last week. Nothing about him now seemed frightening at all. In fact, now he was perfectly polite. And he was starting to give me a strange look as many seconds passed before I managed to give him an answer.

"Isabella," I stammered. "I mean, Bella. Call me Bella."

"Bella, certainly," he repeated with a smile. He removed a slide from the box and offered it to me. "Ladies' first, partner?"

I was still staring at his beautiful smile, flawlessly straight and white, set characteristically crooked in a face that was so perfect that it was almost painful to look at. His eyes, formerly so frightening that they overwhelmed all his other facial features, were an even brighter gold and warm, but at the same time somewhat guarded. His skin was pale, smooth, and completely faultless except for the faint shadows underneath his eyes. His hair was bronze, messy, and somewhat wet from the rain outside.

"Or…I suppose I can go first, if you'd prefer," he murmured, drawing his hand back.

"Oh, no," I exclaimed, snapping out of my trance. I reached out for the slide quickly, and my hand brushed against his as I grasped the slide. I flinched back immediately because his hand was cold as ice, and a strange electric shock seemed to pass between us. He obviously noticed the shock, too, because he immediately let go of the slide and moved away from me slightly, his shoulders tensing.

"Sorry," I muttered. "I'll go first."

I put the slide on the microscope underneath the metal slide clips and adjusted the scope so I could see the cells. As I did this, I noticed Edward clench his left fist and slide his chair as far away as possible from me again.

I looked at the cells through the microscope, now very grateful for my extra preparation over the weekend. I'd looked at the pictures of the different phases of mitosis in my textbook, so my assessment of the slide was confident.

"Prophase," I said, reaching around the microscope to remove the slide.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked. I saw him reach out to touch my arm and stop me from removing the slide, but then he reconsidered and drew his hand back.

I held up the slide I'd already removed. "Too late," I said. "Sorry."

"That's quite alright," he muttered. He took the slide from my hand, careful not to touch my skin again, and set it back in the microscope quickly. He took the smallest peek into the eyepiece before removing the slide again. "Prophase," he confirmed, writing it on our worksheet in exquisite handwriting.

He placed the next slide on the microscope and looked at it quickly again. "Anaphase," he murmured, moving to write it on the worksheet.

I reached for the microscope. "May I?"

"Go right ahead."

I took a swift peek at the slide, desperately hoping he was wrong.

Dang.

"Anaphase," I reluctantly agreed.

He smirked and wrote it down on the worksheet.

"Slide three?" I asked, holding out my hand for the slide. He removed it from the box and handed it to me, once again without touching my hand. I put it on the microscope and took the most fleeting look I dared.

"Interphase."

I passed him the microscope before he even had time to ask for it, and he took a look. He nodded and wrote "interphase" down on the worksheet.

We finished before everyone else. We sat there awkwardly, staring at anything other than each other, as our classmates struggled with the lab and tried to sneak looks at textbooks underneath their desks.

Mr. Banner came over to see why we weren't working. He glanced at the worksheet, checking the answers to see if they were correct, then turned to me.

"Bella, didn't you think Edward should get a chance with a microscope?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Edward interrupted with, "She did give me a chance, Mr. Banner. You were right, though, she was very helpful. She identified three of the five slides."

"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess it is a good thing you two are lab partners." He murmured something under his breath as he walked away.

Once he left, I began doodling on my notebook to pass the time. The only sound was the scratching of my pencil against the paper, and the mutters of others in the class struggling to complete the lab.

"It certainly rains a lot in this town, doesn't it?" Edward asked after several quiet minutes. I looked up to see him staring out the window, which was streaked with rain.

"Yes, it certainly does," I muttered, looking back down at my notebook and continuing to scribble.

He turned to face me. "You don't care for the rain?"

"It's not so bad," I replied without looking up. "I hated it at first, though."

"At first?" he asked.

"When I first moved here," I explained. "I've only been here a year."

"Ah," he replied. "What brought you here?"

I hesitated before replying. "It was…complicated."

"I think I can keep up."

I finally looked up and met his eyes, startled. Nobody had ever really asked me about my reasons for moving, not even last year when I'd first come to Forks. Nobody had really seemed to care. But I could see genuine curiosity in Edward's eyes. They were dark gold and burning with some strange emotion I did not recognize, and I answered him without thinking.

"My mother got remarried last year," I blurted. "I used to live with her, in Phoenix."

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed. But then he added, with a touch of sympathy, "But you don't like him."

"No, that's not it."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

"No, Phil's fine. Too young for my mother, maybe, but nice enough."

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

I had no idea why Edward was so interested. I was sure he wasn't feigning his fascination with my story, however, because I could see from his eyes that he was taking in my every word as if they were somehow vitally important.

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living. You won't have heard of him, though- strictly minor league." I half-smiled, and he smiled in response.

"So your mother sent you here so she could travel with him." He said this as a statement, not as a question, for he seemed certain of this assessment.

My chin raised a fraction. "No, she did not. I sent myself."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't…understand," he admitted. He seemed extremely frustrated with this fact.

I sighed and looked down. Why was I explaining this to him? This stranger who, just last week, I feared and wished never to see again? I glanced up into his eyes again to find them still filled with obvious curiosity. I found myself, once again, answering with unthinking honesty.

"My mother stayed home with me at first, but I could tell she missed him. It made her was unhappy…so I decided to come here and live with Charlie." Even though I'd agonized over and made this decision a long time ago, my voice was still glum by the time I finished speaking.

"But now you're unhappy," he said.

I smiled slightly. "I suppose I used to be, but not anymore."

He laughed softly, the sound like music to my ears. "Gotten used to the rain, have you?"

I laughed then, too. "I guess you could say that."

It was quiet for a few moments. "Why are you asking me all these questions?" I asked.

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't know." He looked away, out the window again, and I took that as the end of our conversation.

The bell rang shortly after this, and Edward gathered up his books just as quickly as last week and left the room. I left the building at a much slower pace, my mind spinning with confusion. What was with this Edward and his mood swings?

I managed to survive gym class. My classmates had known me long enough by now to avoid passing me the ball, so it wasn't as bad as last year. Coach Clapp had given up on forcing me to participate, too. I focused on not hurting myself or others in an attempt to avoid thinking about Edward. It worked fairly well, too, because by the time I trooped out to my truck after school, I was thinking about nothing but what I had to get from the grocery store that evening.

I drove home and started writing a list for the store once I got there. Jacob called me and told me he could come over. They still hadn't found Sam, he said, but he was doing no good at Billy's house and wanted a break from the search. I waited for him, and when he arrived he agreed to go the grocery store with me. He knew I wouldn't stock our house well with junk food unless he went to the store and needled me into buying it.

It didn't take me long to buy what I needed at Fork's tiny store, even with Jacob there to slow me down. It wasn't until I wheeling my grocery cart back out towards my car, parked on the opposite side of the parking lot, that I remembered the butter.

"Dang it," I muttered.

"What?" Jacob asked, stopping beside me.

"Butter," I mumbled. I started to turn the cart around, but Jacob grabbed it to stop me.

"I'll get it," he said.

I smiled teasingly at him. "You're my hero, you know that?"

He rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Meet you at the truck."

I watched him turn around and trot back towards the store, and then continued on my way. Halfway there, however, I hit a bump in the concrete and the old cart's right-front wheel decided it just wasn't going to cooperate anymore.

"Oh, come on," I grumbled, crouching down to try to force it into compliance. I fiddled with it for several minutes, but it just wasn't being nice to me today.

"Need some help there?"

The voice startled me, and I stood up too fast. I hit my head on the corner of the cart and would have fallen if a strong arm hadn't caught me around the shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't me to scare you," the soft, musical voice said very quickly. I looked up into Edward's concerned face as he slowly lowered me into a sitting position on the wet concrete. "Are you okay?"

I brought my hand to the back of my head and winced. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

Once I was safely on the ground, Edward removed his arm from around my shoulders and crouched in front of me, eyes full of worry as he placed one of his hands on my shoulder to steady me and the other next to mine on the back of my head. His hand, cold as ice still, soothed the throbbing.

"Are you sure?" he murmured. "You sounded like you hit your head pretty hard, and you've got quite the goose egg."

"No, really," I protested. "I'm fine." I let out a shaky sigh as my heart finally started to slow down after starting so violently.

"Bella!" I looked behind me and saw Jake jogging towards us, a single grocery bag swinging in his left hand. "Are you okay?"

Edward suddenly seemed to realize the close proximity between us – my face was only inches from his- and he fluidly stood up. "She had a bit of an accident, that's all," Edward explained.

Jacob quickly pulled up when he saw Edward. A hint of some strange emotion darted across his face, but Jake hid it so quickly that I didn't have time to identify it. "I don't believe we've been…introduced," he said, his voice suddenly strangely formal.

"No, I don't believe we have," Edward replied, his tone just as stiff. He held his hand out to me without taking his eyes off Jacob. "Bella?"

Jacob rushed to my side. "I've got her," he said, almost defensively. He reached down and grabbed my hand, gently pulling me to my feet and wrapping his arm around my waist. For some reason he felt way too warm tonight, like he had a fever. My head started to throb again.

I looked between the two of them, confused by their serious and almost angry expressions. "Um, well…Jacob, this is Edward Cullen," I said, trying to ease the tension between them. "He goes to Forks High School now, and he's in my grade. And Edward, this is Jacob Black."

Edward reached across the gap between us, which had suddenly grown very large, to shake hands. Jacob reluctantly closed the distance and exchanged a handshake with him. The instant their hands touched, however, both their eyes widened. I assumed Jacob's surprised expression had to do with the unusually cold temperature of Edward's skin. I had no idea what Edward was reacting to, however. His eyes held not only surprise in them, but something deeper that I couldn't identify. Maybe it wasn't just me, and Jacob really was warmer than usual tonight. Did he have a fever, or something?

Edward quickly released Jacob's hand and stepped back. The lines of his face were suddenly rigid, and his shoulders were tensed. "Are you, by chance, of any relation to Ephraim Black?" Edward asked politely, but with a palpable stiffness to his voice.

"Yeah," Jacob responded, his confusion evident in his voice. "He was my great-grandfather. Why do you ask?"

I saw Edward hesitate for a moment before answering, "My adopted father, Carlisle, had mentioned a story involving him," Edward replied carefully. Clearing his throat, he continued, "It was good to meet you. I'm sorry, but I must go now. My mother's waiting for the groceries at home."

"Good to meet you, too," Jacob responded.

Edward turned abruptly and left, walking quickly and gracefully towards the store entrance. I stared after him, completely confused again. Edward's mood swings were more and more of an enigma to me.

"Well," Jacob snorted, "I see why you thought he was odd before, Bella. Geez, that guy had issues."

I looked up into Jake's face. While I could understand why he thought Edward had been rude, it was rare for Jacob to really criticize anyone. The strange emotion I'd seen flitting across his face a few moments ago was back, but this time I was able to tell what it was.

"Jacob Black!" I exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, already defensive.

"You're jealous," I accused teasingly. It was so absurd that I had to laugh. "You're jealous of Edward Cullen!"

"I am not," he snapped, going to the cart and trying to push it towards the truck. The wheel was still broken, however, and he ended up getting nowhere with the cart and muttering with frustration. He bent down to fix the wheel while I came over and leaned against the cart.

"You so _are_ jealous, but I have no clue why."

He stood up and scowled at me. "Bella, I am not jealous. I'm just…urg."

He grabbed the cart and started pushing it quickly towards the truck. I almost had to run to keep up with his long strides. Once we got there, he helped me load the grocery bags into the back.

"Urg?" I asked him.

He lifted the last bag into the truck with a sigh. "Bella, I just…don't like him. That's all." He took the cart and rolled it to the designated area, then came back. "I don't like that he gets to see you all day at school while I'm not there, and because of that, he probably spends more time with you than I do."

"That's not true, Jacob. First, I only have one class with him. Second, he really doesn't talk to me that much anyway. And third, even if he did talk to me a lot, I wouldn't give him the time of day."

He looked down and scuffed his shoe against the pavement. "I know that. It's just...I still don't like it. I don't like the way he looks at you. He looks way too…interested."

I snorted. "I _highly_ doubt that. And besides," I whispered, stepping closer to him, "I prefer tall, dark, and handsome."

"Well, I suppose he's got two out of three," Jacob grumbled.

"Why take two out of three when I've got a perfect three for three right here?" I asked, taking his hand.

He smiled slightly, and I could tell he felt better. "I'm glad you think so."

* * * * * * *

I went to school the next day, a small bump on the back of my head courtesy of the grocery cart from the previous night, and wondered if Edward would act any differently towards me after our strange encounter. My morning classes all passed in a blur, and by lunch I was nervous to see whether Edward had even shown up at all. I sat with my usual friends and sneakily peeked at the Cullen table.

I spotted his bronze hair immediately. I also noticed that he seemed to be having some sort of intense argument with the rest of his family. The all leaned forward in their chairs so their heads were close together, and their lips moved very fast. The blonde was gesturing emphatically with her hands, and the pixie-like one was rubbing her temples in what looked like confusion. All of them glanced repeatedly at me, and when the blonde girl's hostile eyes met mine I quickly looked away.

I sighed quietly in frustration. What had I done to upset Edward _this_ time?

Once again I considered skipping biology, but decided against it. I tried to convince myself that the argument had nothing to do with me, and that I'd been imagining their glances towards me.

The bell rang all too soon, and I dragged my feet on the way to class. I got there just barely on time again, but thankfully Mr. Banner had not yet arrived in the classroom. I sat down next to Edward and attempted to ignore him.

Of course I failed, and I glanced up at him after only a few seconds. I was surprised to find him staring at me intently, his brow furrowed. His eyes were dark, and he seemed to be struggling with something.

"Edward," I asked timidly, "is something wrong?"

He huffed out his breathed all at once and turned so he was facing straight ahead, running a frustrated hand through his messy bronze hair. He was silent for a moment, his forehead creased, and then he turned abruptly back to me

"Bella," he said, so softly it was almost a whisper. "That boy I met last night, Jacob Black, was he…was he your boyfriend?"

Something about his tone immediately put me on the defensive. "That's none of your business," I snapped back, just as quietly.

"Just answer the question," Edward demanded, his eyes burning with some intense emotion I couldn't understand. His eyes compelled me, once again, to answer honestly.

"Yes, he is," I muttered, "Why does it matter to you?"

"It just does," he replied, closing his eyes tightly and running his hand through his hair again. "You wouldn't understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

He opened his eyes so they bored into mine once again. "Bella," he whispered, leaning towards me slightly. "I know this isn't going to make sense, but I'm begging you to listen to me."

I stared at him, shaking my head slightly. Where was all this intensity coming from?

"I'm asking you, please, to be careful. Very, very careful."

"Careful about what?" I asked, completely mystified.

"Be careful around your boyfriend, Jacob Black," he whispered, cautiously choosing his words. "He's not…safe to be around."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" I hissed, suddenly enraged.

"I know this all sounds very strange," he said quietly before I could go on, "and you probably don't believe me, but please," he said, the strain obvious in his voice. "Please, as a favor to me, be careful."

I looked back into his dark and intense golden eyes and saw that, whatever crazy reasoning he might have behind this warning, he really meant it. He truly believed that Jacob was putting me in danger. I could also see that he was absolutely desperate for me to believe him. And for some reason, I found myself slowly nodding.

"Alright, Edward," I muttered. "I'll be careful."

"Thank you," he whispered, turning his head so he was staring straight ahead. "That's all I want." I could hear the relief in his voice.

I turned and stared straight ahead, too, as Mr. Banner started the class. I could see Mr. Banner's mouth moving, but I could hear nothing but my own thudding heartbeat and ragged breath.

"I'll be careful," I whispered one last time.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :D Now review (please)! And once again, I'm sorry it took me so ridiculously long to update. I'm a really bad writer that way. I hope you can put up with me and my story, anyway.**

**The next chapter should be up sometime this week. **


End file.
